These puffy, golden beef sausage rolls are perfect for any occasion and make brilliant party food or game day food or just when you feel like a treat. Flaky puff pastry, encasing moist flavourful sausage meat and just 6 simple ingredients.
- So quick and easy to make.
- Super tasty. Full of flavour from good sausages.
- Affordable so they’re great for a crowd.
- Perfect appetisers for parties and gatherings.
- Make ahead and can be frozen too.
One of the things I love most is these are all meat and onion wrapped in buttery puff pastry. These aren’t filled out with vegetables or bread crumbs which can give sausage rolls a weird texture and detract from the gorgeous richness of the sausage inside.
You’ll love these Italian sausage rolls too or try these loaded mini baked potatoes if you’re looking for more great party finger food.
This post was first published on December 13th, 2016 and has been updated with more information and new images.
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A very special treat
Detailed quantities and instructions in the recipe card below.
These beef sausage rolls are a recipe that is close to my heart – I grew up with these. These are my mums homemade sausage rolls (with a couple of small differences) and they’re a tradition, nearly a ritual, in our family. I’m so excited to share the recipe with the world.
When I was growing up, these easy mini sausage rolls were mostly reserved for Christmas. I remember being a kid and getting excited when I’d see the ingredients in the fridge because then I knew it was nearly time to make a batch.
From there, I would bug mum about when she was going to make them. Making sausage rolls became a tradition, me and mum in the kitchen, with DJ Dads Boney M Christmas album on in the background and it’s one of my most cherished Christmas memories. So much so that hubby and I do it now 🙂
As the years went on these sausage rolls would come out at many special occasions because they’re that good and everyone loves them.
Ingredients for beef sausage rolls
Detailed quantities and instructions in the recipe card below.
I have made two slight changes to my mums recipe. The first is the meat. I always use beef sausages. Mum would use a roll of sausage meat that started out years ago being pork and these days seems to be a combo of both. The second change is thyme and it goes perfectly with the beef.
These easy sausage rolls are simplicity at it’s very finest. They always get loads of compliments and there is one reason for this – they are filled predominantly with sausage meat.
The flavour is not competing with veggies (like carrots) and a mountain of breadcrumbs that are often included in sausage rolls – more often than not to make them go further or to make them “healthier” but we aren’t talking expensive ingredients here and they’re wrapped in puff pastry – they’re meant to be a treat. These sausage rolls don’t have that strange mushy, spongey texture that some sausage rolls have too.
This recipe has just 7 ingredients. All simple but, all combined, they just have the most amazing flavour.
- Good beef sausages: While you can use a roll of sausage meat if that’s available, I love using regular beef sausages, the same we’d use when we just feel like cooking sausages.
- Onion: Use a regular brown onion or red onion. Whatever you have on hand.
- Puff pastry: Buttery puff pastry has the best texture for sausage rolls. I use square puff pastry sheets.
- Fresh thyme: These just need a touch of thyme to give them a herby hint. I love it but you can absolutely leave it out if you don’t like it or have it on hand.
- Salt: Sausages are normally already salted so you don’t need to add a lot here, just a touch.
- Flour: Just plain flour (all purpose flour) is used for dredging the meat filling which will make it easier to roll.
- Egg yolk: An egg yolk with a dash of water or milk is the perfect egg wash, giving these mini beef sausage rolls a golden exterior.
Variations / substitutions
- Beef mince: You can use beef mince (aka ground beef) though the flavour will be different and honestly not as good. If you want to try that though, use the same quantity but add a little more salt to the beef mixture.
- Cheese: You could add a little cheese to the meat filling too. Some grated cheddar either on top of or pressed into the filling.
- Spice them up: You can add a little spice by adding some black pepper or even finely chopped jalapeños to the mix.
- Toppings: You could sprinkle on some toppings like sesame seeds or poppy seeds once you’ve brushed them with egg wash.
- Dipping Sauces: When it comes to mums sausage rolls I like them sans any sauce but each to their own and a classic with sausage rolls is tomato sauce (aka ketchup).
How to make mini sausage rolls
Detailed quantities and instructions in the recipe card below.
- Start by removing the sausage meat from the sausage casings. Just use a sharp knife to cut a line along the sausage and peel the casing off (photo 1).
- Mix together the sausage meat, onion, salt and thyme (photo 2).
- I like to use an ice cream scoop to get the exact same amount of mixture for each sausage roll (I weighed it and it is approximately 75g of mixture per log)
- Toss the ball of sausage meat in flour (using two forks keeps your hands clean)
- Lay out a sheet of puff pastry and then, use clean, dry hands to roll the meat into a long log about 1cm short of each side of the pastry (photo 3).
- Use your finger to run a line of water around the 1cm overhang edges on each side and the edge closest to you. Now roll that front edge of pastry, over the top of the log, then press it down on the other side making sure it’s tight up against the sausage meat.
- Cut the extra pastry away, then use a fork to seal the joined edges (photo 4). Trim them with a knife so they’re neat, then cut the log into 5 pieces and poke two holes in the top of each one (photo 5) with your knife (this will allow steam to escape.
- Place the uncooked sausage rolls on a lined baking tray about 1 inch apart and brush them with a beaten egg (photo 6).
- Then you bake them until they are just golden and then shamelessly devour them.
Tips and tricks for making the best beef sausage rolls
- You can use pre-packaged sausage meat if you like but I like to use individual sausages of a brand I know I like to eat normally.
- The puff pastry – I like to use Borgs puff pastry as it seems to have the best flavour and is still crispy the next day. Use whichever puff pastry you prefer.
- Using two forks to turn the meat over in the flour keeps your hands clean.
- Make sure when folding the pastry over the sausage meat, to keep it tight and close. The meat will shrink as it cooks and if the pastry isn’t tight around it, the sausage meat will fall out of the pastry when you serve them.
- Make sure the knife you use to cut the log into 5 pieces is very sharp to make a nice clean cut.
- Keep the pastry in the fridge, covered, while you’re not using it so that it doesn’t soften too much or dry out. If it softens too much it won’t puff up as well in the oven.
Can you freeze sausage rolls?
Yes, unbaked, the sausage rolls can be frozen on the baking sheet until solid, then place them back in the freezer in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Store baked sausage rolls in the fridge in an airtight container. They can be reheated in the oven, from cold, for 10-15 minutes at 180C / 350F / 160C fan forced. You can reheat them in the microwave but the pastry will soften. You can freeze the baked sausage rolls too.
Homemade Sausage Rolls are great hot or cold, although hot is best in my opinion. With a good quality puff pastry, they stay crispy the next day too, even out of the fridge. And they are such a great option if you are taking a plate of goodies when visiting friends or family.
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Ingredients
- 600 g standard beef sausages (1.3lb)
- ½ red onion, diced very finely
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves, optional
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 sheets ready rolled puff pastry, cold but thawed
- 1 egg, beaten with a dash of water
- ¼ cup plain (all-purp) flour
For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 395F / 200C / 180C fan. Line a cookie tray with baking paper.
- Use a sharp knife to split the skins of the sausages and then just peel the skins away and discard. Mix the sausage meat, onion (must be chopped very fine), thyme and salt in a bowl.
- Now set up your space. Have a large chopping board, a fork, a sharp knife, a small bowl of water and your flour close by. Lay one sheet of thawed puff pastry onto your chopping board.
- Use a large ice cream scoop (approx. 75g) of the mixture, use two forks to roll it lightly in the flour so that your hands don’t get sticky, then roll it out into an even log on top of the puff pastry. Lay it 1cm from the side and front edge (closest to you) of the pastry, then use your finger to run some water around the edge of pastry closest to you and along the sides (the water acts as glue).
- Fold the pastry away from you, over the top of the meat, keeping it tight, and press the join down firmly on the other side of the sausage meat. Use the knife to cut away the other half of the sheet, then press down all along the joins with the fork. Trim away a little of the joined edges to neaten them.
- Cut each log into 5 pieces, then jab with the knife 2 little air holes in the top of each one to allow steam to escape. Sit them onto the baking tray then repeat with the rest of the pastry and meat mix.
- You can freeze half at this point by laying them on a baking tray in the freezer, then once frozen, transfer them all to a plastic bag or container. Or you can bake them all.
- Once all the sausage rolls are sitting on the baking trays, lightly brush them with the egg wash, then bake for around 20 minutes until light golden and crispy. Give them a couple of minutes to cool down before taking a bite.
Notes
- Using two forks to turn the meat over in the flour keeps your hands clean.
- Make sure when folding the pastry over the sausage meat, to keep it tight and close. The meat will shrink as it cooks and if the pastry isn’t tight around it, the sausage meat will fall out of the pastry when you serve them.
- Make sure the knife you use to cut the log into 5 pieces is very sharp to make a nice clean cut.
- Keep the pastry in the fridge, covered, while you’re not using it so that it doesn’t soften too much or dry out. If it softens too much it won’t puff up as well in the oven.
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4 Comments on “Beef Sausage Rolls”
Where do you buy beef sausage
I’m in Australia and these are just the regular, every day sausage you might throw on the barbecue. Here’s a link to the ones I use in case that’s helpful
If you freeze the sausage rolls, do they have to defrost before you bake? What temp and how long to bake them?
Thanks
Maureen
Hello Maureen, no they will cook from frozen – just add another 2-3 minutes.